Herpes Viruses Association

The Herpes Association (now the Herpes Viruses Association) was started in 1982. It is a support group for people with Herpes simplex virus. It conducts information campaigns and attempts to reduce the stigma associated with sexually transmitted diseases.

It became a registered charity with a Dept of Health grant in 1985. The charity started as a string of local group meetings before acquiring an office and a national spread.[1][2] It is widely referred to as a source of help for patients who are anxious about the conditions,[3] primarily genital herpes.[4]

The Association campaigns against the transmission of herpes being treated as a criminal offence. It supported David Golding who was convicted and imprisoned for infecting a woman with genital herpes in 2011.[5] Nigel Scott, their spokesman said the sentence for causing grievous bodily harm was ‘outrageous’ and compared it to prosecuting children for ‘giving their friends chicken pox’,[6] or passing on a cold sore.[7]

It supported the campaign to keep the sexual health services of the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in 2014.[8]

It carried out a double-blind trial of liquorice lip balm on forty people in 2014 and found that it reduced the severity of symptoms in most subjects.[9] Marian Nicholson, the Director of the Association, is frequently quoted in relation to research into the development of remedies.[10][11]

Dr Phil Hammond (comedian) is the president of the association. Between 1993 and 2002 Clare Rayner was one of its patrons.

References

  1. ↑ "UK Herpes Support Groups".
  2. ↑ "The Herpes Viruses Association".
  3. ↑ "Gynaecological infections". Nursing in practice. 20 May 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  4. ↑ "Genital herpes". NHS Choices. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  5. ↑ "David Golding: Court criticised over herpes infector ruling". BBC News. 8 May 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  6. ↑ "Traffic officer jailed for giving girlfriend herpes freed from prison ‘while more evidence is gathered’". Daily Mail. 29 September 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  7. ↑ "Outrage After U.K. Man Jailed for Giving Partner Genital Herpes". Fox News. 16 August 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  8. ↑ "Chester doctors go to war with council over sexual health". Chester Chronicle. 3 December 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  9. ↑ "Kiss cold sores goodbye this Valentines". Cheshire Today. 26 January 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  10. ↑ "Cranberries 'could treat herpes'". BBC News. 17 October 2004. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  11. ↑ "Your partner has herpes – now the good news". New Scientist. 11 March 2010. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
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